


~When Phantom Meets Sleepy Door-kun~

by 1InSaNeAnGeL



Series: ~A Phantom's Future, Always Different~ [2]
Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:36:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27228958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1InSaNeAnGeL/pseuds/1InSaNeAnGeL
Summary: ~One Kurusu Akira/Amamiya Ren/Persona 5 Protagonist's life with different spouses, different outlooks and different futures.~
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Arisato Minato, Kurusu Akira/Makoto Yuuki (Persona Series), Persona 5 Protagonist/Persona 3 Protagonist
Series: ~A Phantom's Future, Always Different~ [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1979995
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	~When Phantom Meets Sleepy Door-kun~

Arisato-Kurusu Sakura gaped at her father with wide, wide eyes, momentarily forgetting her delicious breakfast of steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and tsukemono. Her chopsticks clattered rather loudly against the kitchen counter as she sat up a little straighter, shoulders stiff. “What? Dad, you mean you don’t need those glasses? At all?”

Arisato-Kurusu Akira chuckled softly as he rested his elbows on the counter, gunmetal gray eyes shining in mischievous delight. “It’s true, I have perfect vision. I’ve never needed glasses.”

“Then why do you wear them in pictures? Every picture in our family album has you wearing glasses!” As if needing to prove her point, Sakura hopped down from her stool, as she was pretty tiny, and scrambled up the stairs to the second floor. Akira blinked, taken back by the sudden action but before he could call his daughter back down to finish her breakfast she was back. And carrying a rather large book decorated with a pink spine and floral pattern. “Every picture, even from before I was born,” Sakura claimed, making sure not to knock aside her breakfast dishes as she set the album on the counter and flipped to the first page. She pointed to the first photo, which was of her father and dad posing for a Christmas card.

Sakura wasn’t in the picture, as both were still teenagers in high school at the time. Funny enough though, her parents looked exactly the same as they did now. Older sure, much wiser definitely but nothing really has been touched by time appearance-wise.

“Aww, I love that shot. Your father actually smiled in it!” Akira recalled with a fond grin how much pleading Minako had to do to convince Minato to smile for the camera. How she reminded him this was going to be a Christmas card, that eventually his future children with Akira (and this was before they even got together, mind you) would see this and wonder why their father was such a Grinch so why not spare them from snooping. It took a while, along with the promises of a lot of Kurisumasu keki afterwards but it was worth it. Minato smiled, Akira smiled with him, and the rest was history.

“Father does have a pretty smile,” Sakura agreed, her lips twisting upwards as she nodded. “It’s rare but when he does, it lights up his eyes so they go from denim to indigo. Usually that happens under changes in lighting but with him, it just happens when he smiles.” That’s when the tiny girl blinked and blushed, soon glaring at Akira. “B-but that’s not my point! Stop distracting me, Dad. You’re wearing glasses in this picture, you’re seventeen in this picture.”

“I think your Auntie Fuuka took this picture. Or was it Yukari? I can’t remember…”

“You’re wearing glasses! You’re seventeen in this picture!” Sakura whined, thumping her head on the counter.

“Sakura honey, careful! You’ll hurt yourself.”

“I’m a klutz, Dad. I hurt myself brushing my teeth in the morning,” Sakura pointed out, sitting up proper as per her dad’s unspoken request. “So why do you wear them if you don’t need them to see?”

Akira was silent for a few minutes, contemplating if sharing his deepest, darkest secret with his adorable, sweet daughter was the best idea or not. Sakura was sixteen going on seventeen, She had a good head on her shoulders and like her father was usually very good at keeping secrets. Sakura might be a chatterbox, something she clearly inherited from Akira because who else would it be, but secrets she took very seriously.

If he couldn’t trust his daughter, the beautiful gift his husband of over eighteen years gave him thus making his life ten times better than ever before, who could Akira trust?

No one, that’s who.

“Okay, okay,” Akira raised his hands up in the universal surrender pose, Sakura leaning forward in her chair on her knees as her dad took a deep breath. “I’ll tell you why, but you have to promise you won’t tell anyone, ‘Kura-chan. No one and I mean no one, not even Sayuri.”

Kitagawa Sayuri was Sakura’s best friend, the daughter of the famous painter, and one of Akira’s best friends, Kitagawa Yusuke. The two girls shared everything from dresses to bento boxes, honestly Akira believed Sakura was in love with Sayuri but that wasn’t his story to tell so it was rather bold of him to request his daughter not to even confide in her closest confidant.

Of course he was joking, Akira didn’t care if Sakura told anyone about his little secret. But it was fun teasing his daughter nonetheless.

Sakura looked conflicted for a bit, biting her upper lip. It was rather cute, the gesture since most people wore their lower lip when struggling with a difficult choice. Where the one and only child of Arisato-Kurusu Akira and Arisato-Kurusu Minato picked that up was a mystery.

Still, very cute.

“Okay!” Sakura puffed out her cheeks and folded her hands under her chin. “I won’t tell anyone, not even ‘Yuri-chan,” she promised, her long, silky hair falling over her left eye. “I promise, and not only that but I princess promise.”

A princess promise was something Sakura learned from Yukari when she was four. Apparently a princess promise was more powerful than a regular promise, as princesses had duties to their kingdoms. If they had such responsibility over millions of people, they had to take their word seriously and do whatever possible for the betterment of said people. Hence, when a princess makes a promise it is long-lasting.

Or so Yukari convinced Sakura of.

“Princess promise,” Akira played along, beaming. He then cleared his throat, looked his daughter straight in the eye as he removed his glasses and slid them over Sakura’s nose. “The reason why I wear them, even if I don’t need them...is because they make me less scary.”

A pen could be heard if dropped in that instant. Sakura blinked once, twice, three times over, looking just downright lost. Akira sweat dropped.

“...What?” She blurted out, slumping in her seat once more. “But you’re not scary!”

“Wait, what?” It was Akira’s turn to stare in confusion.

“You’re not scary, Dad. You’re like the sweetest, most warmest person I know!” Sakura exclaimed, rubbing the back of her head. As the glasses had no prescription, they didn’t bother her vision, her perfect vision, in the slightest. “You make me really spicy, yummy curry when I’m upset, you teach me how to dance even though I have two left feet, and you used to tell me fun bedtime stories! You’d kiss my booboos to make them get better faster and when Father couldn’t, you’d help me with my homework. You have such a pretty smile, and when you laugh the whole house laughs! How are you scary?!”

‘How did I have such a sweet little girl?’ Akira thought, resisting the urge to break down crying. Sakura was blunt, always spoke her mind; that clearly came from Minato and his sister Minako, even if Akira wasn’t one to shy away himself. But how Sakura delivered her honesty, it wasn’t as in your face as Akira’s could be. He’s the guy who turns a serious situation into a song lyric for levity, and still laughs even if it falls flat.

Sakura, when Sakura spoke her mind it was usually to spread joy and cheer. She loved making people happy, either with a laugh or giggle, a joke or moment of klutziness. And even if her honesty could come off as a little too much, who could say anything rude to that face?

Akira knew he and Minato did right by naming their daughter Sakura. She was as precious and beautiful as her namesake, gentle by nature and soft spoken even at birth.

Though there were instances Sakura could be a little...scary herself.

“Dad? Dad, you there?” Sakura waved her hand in front of Akira’s face, thin brows pulling together.

“W-well, I’ve been told I have really sharp eyes. They can pierce through anything, even a person’s soul. Some people find that intimidating, so wearing these glasses make me seem more docile. Innocent if you will; sure, that was pretty much blown out of the water when my criminal record was leaked…”

“Yeah, that can do that.” Sakura agreed, nodding her head.

“But it still worked with some people. Besides,” Akira’s Joker smirk emerged from the shadows of his heart, “You wouldn’t think to hit a guy with glasses, would you?”

“What? That’s silly!” Sakura retorted, and for a moment Akira thought his child was on his side. It is rude to hit a guy or girl with glasses. Common practice, respect.

And then he heard the rest of her response.

“It’s a total advantage you have if someone has impaired vision! Why wouldn’t you take the shot if you can? I would, no questions asked. If I can obliterate my opponent, vision aside, I’m going for it! And enjoy their loss, because that’s what a victor does!” Sakura pumped her fist in the air as she giggled almost manically, her cheeks awfully flushed. Her eyes, which were gunmetal gray commonly associated with the Kurusu bloodline, were glimmering pools at the mere thought of winning such an imbalanced battle.

‘...My child is a demon,’ Akira mused as he began to sweat nervously. He glanced towards the stairs as Minato came down, still in pajamas as it was his day off.

“Morning,” Minato greeted rather sleepily, pecking Sakura on the cheek before drawing Akira into a brief yet adoring kiss. “Something smells great, did ‘Kura-chan eat it all or can I steal some from her?”

“I’m full already so you can have what’s left of my breakfast, Father!” Sakura said as she hopped off of her stool once again. She did a quick check to make sure she didn’t get food on her uniform before grabbing her school bag off the floor, “I should head out now to meet Sayuri! Oh, and I have a shift at the flower shop today after school, but I promise to make dinner tomorrow night.”

“Alright, just be careful okay? Text us when you arrive, and text us when you clock in. Say hi to Amaya-sama for us,” Minato said, his rare smile coming up to greet his and Akira’s own personal ray of sunshine. Sakura skipped around the counter to hug her father tightly followed by her dad, pecking them each on the cheek.

“I'm going to have a great day, I know it! I’ll see you two later, okay? Love you!”

“Love you too,” Minato called back as Akira waved, their tiny sixteen-year-old teenager disappearing out the door with her school blazer shoved away in her bag. “Heh, I can’t believe she got my appetite and yet there’s still enough in these bowls.” He picked up the small, black bowl filled with steam rice and dug in, using Sakura’s left behind chopsticks. “Hmmm, your steamed rice always wakes me up, Aki-chan. Thank you, it’s delicious.”

The man with sapphire blue hair continued to eat as his husband stared at him, humming his enjoyment of the grilled fish and looking rather endearing in the periwinkle blue shirt and gray shorts he wore to bed last night.

‘No, no my child isn’t a demon.’ Akira began to reason as he kept Minato company at the counter, stealing some grilled fish for himself. ‘Sakura-chan isn’t a demon. She’s an Arisato; a tiny, very tiny distinction but still a distinction nonetheless.’

“Aki?”

“Mina, how I told you how much I love you?”

* * *

“There you are, Sakura. I was beginning to think you had slept in,” Seventeen-year-old Kitagawa Sayuri said as she looked up from her cell phone, pocketing it shortly afterwards to meet Sakura with alluring, smoldering shadow gray eyes. Her smile was small but pleasant, her long peacock blue hair in its usual high ponytail.

Sakura’s cheeks went from their usual porcelain to cherry red in seconds, her smile shy but big and bright. “I’m klutzy, Sayuri. Not forgetful,” Was all she could come up with in retaliation, her heart beating faster and faster as Sayuri drifted to her side. “I told you I’d model for you, I keep my promises.”

“You do, yes. But I also am aware how studious you are as well.” Sayuri reasoned with a laugh that resembled windchimes, leading the way to the park that would serve as her next piece’s backdrop. “You’re already preparing for your university entrance exams, months in advance. You have a part time job and attend cram schools on Monday and Wednesday evenings. How can you have any free blocks in your schedule…”

“I always have time for you! I mean, I-I always make time for my friends,” Sakura corrected herself with a sheepish giggle, trying and failing to get her inky black fringe to work with her. It always fell to hide her left eye; she resembled her father Minato like this, even if she inherited her dad Akira’s hair and eye color.

She was rather short too. That didn’t come from Akira’s side of the family. Slenderness yes, from both sides, but the fun-sizeness? No one knew for sure how Sakura came out so tiny.

Sayuri let out another laugh, unable to resist nodding. “That cannot be taken away from you, Sakura. Even when your hands are tied, you strive to give your attention to whoever requests it. Within reason, of course; I’m honored that you consent to modeling for me whenever possible.”

‘You are the most important person to me, Sayuri.’ Sakura thought, pressing a hand tightly to her chest. ‘You...you are my best friend, the one person I can talk to about anything. I love my dad and father, but I can’t always be honest with them about what goes on in my head.’

“I believe in helping those who ask for it, as long as they ask for it nicely.” Sakura replied with a light giggle. “And it makes sense; I’m not exactly keen on plans to rob a bank or something!”

“No, you’re too kind and clever for that sort of delinquency.” Sayuri agreed. Kind of ironic, considering what her and Sakura’s dads did in their free time as teenagers. The older, taller, and much thinner girl, stopped in place to look at Sakura fully. “You keep our other friends out of trouble, you assist academically and you frown at the mere thought of hurting even a fly. You can be dangerous sure, but a different kind of dangerous,” Sayuri reached out a hand and brushed back Sakura’s fringe, securing it in place with a pink clip that didn’t clash with her day outfit. “You’re dangerous like your dad: you’re very sweet and kind, but if someone were to betray that trust I suspect you’d be a combination of a hurricane and volcano: unable to be moved, yet with enough power to wipe out the whole world.”

“...That sounds really bad.” Sakura admitted with a frown, her gunmetal gray eyes becoming dim. “Am that I...that scary?”

Sayuri blinked, then scoffed. “Apparently I’m just as poor with social cues as my dear father before me.” She sighed, soon resting her hands on Sakura’s shoulders. “Please don’t take my words as a sign of your frightfulness. That is the farthest thing I want you to take from my statement. There is nothing wrong with having that power as long as it’s not abused, and I know you don’t. You are strong but very considerate, the mere idea of hurting someone’s feelings makes you sick to your stomach. You are beautiful, Sakura-chan, inside and out.”

Sakura let out a meek squeak when Sayuri moved a hand to cup her face, making eye contact practically inevitable. Her cheeks were tomatoes at this point, and her ribcage was on the brink of shattering to pieces with how hard her heart was pounding. “S-Sayuri…”

“You are so beautiful I always look forward to capturing such glamor and glory on paper, in paint. It’s rare to find such a gem left unpolluted by the harsh, cruelness of our reality. Some things die so soon, and the goodness is extinguished by evilness. The evilness that unfortunately is part of the human condition, of our genetic makeup as a race.” Sayuri made a face as she said this, as if recalling a bad memory. The expression melted into one of adoration, however, when she locked eyes with Sakura once again. “You see so much injustice, unfairness in your day-to-day but you still possess your smile. You still love to make flower crowns, you still love being a cheerleader. You still love to read scary stories and mystery novels, but you’re deathly afraid of butterflies. How I don’t know, as I feel a butterfly does wonderfully representing your free, cheerful nature but that is fact. You are still you despite your personal, demanding trials and that is admirable. Ha, then again you are your fathers’ daughter.”

“But I’m still me, right? You see Sakura, not Sakura the daughter of Kurusu Akira and Arisato Minato...right?” Sakura asked, her eyes shining. Hopeful.

“You are all I see, Sakura.” Sayuri stated firmly.

Tears flooded Sakura’s eyes but she was smiling as she threw her arms around the taller girl in a hug, fear no longer holding her back as she kissed Sayuri sweetly. “I love you, Sayuri!”

Sayuri’s milk-white cheeks were splashed with strawberries, and her eyes threatened to pop out of her skull. But that trepidation, that uncertainty of their friendship being lost due to deeper feelings was then decimated; the older girl pressed back with as much energy, as much want, both hands folding around Sakura’s waist. When both had to part to catch their breath, the older girl tried to gather her words. “I was afraid if you knew I would lose you...I-I never humored the idea that-”

“I’ve loved you all my life, Sayuri. Even before I knew what it was, ha! There is no way you could ever lose me, even if you didn’t feel the same way. We’re best friends, remember?”

“And girlfriends,” Sayuri added, drawing Sakura close enough to rest her cheek in her hair. “Best friends and girlfriends, we are those two things yes?”

Sakura giggled again, nodding as she snuggled into Sayuri’s chest. “Always and forever, Sayuri.”

* * *

“Dad, Father, I need to talk to you.” Sakura declared one Saturday afternoon, shortly after the three finished up lunch. She stood in front of Minato and Akira with her arms crossed, her fringe of inky black hair obscuring her left eye.

She was trying to seem imposing, and she did. A little bit; the painted hearts on her cheeks, kind of puffy pink sundress and matching socks kind of dampened the illusion though. That, and Sakura’s cheeks were flushed and she was shifting from one heel to the other. A common sign she was nervous.

Akira blinked and closed the book he was reading, Minato following suit and putting his aside on the couch. The husbands exchanged a glance before Akira patted the space between them, expression amused and curious. “Okay well sit down then, baby. We’re all ears.”

Sakura took a deep breath, nodded and plopped down on the couch, arms still crossed. She closed her gunmetal gray eyes, counted to ten. She did this at least twice before she opened her eyes again and looked between Akira and Minato. “You guys know how you two love each other very much? So much to marry each other and have me??” Sakura favored this as a safe way to start the conversation, trying her best to remain calm.

Minato hummed, nodded. “Yes, I do love your dad very much. So much so to marry him and have you, ‘Kura-chan.” He said, sliding his hands into his pockets. He gave his daughter a small smile. “I never thought I’d want a family, a life like this...but then your dad showed up and destroyed everything I had planned.”

“More like fixed,” Akira countered, rolling his eyes. He was grinning though. “And I felt the same way about your father, sweetheart. I just loved him so much I had to have him for myself, I had to steal his heart.”

“This is a sweet moment, don’t ruin it.” Minato deadpanned, which caused both Akira and Sakura to laugh.

“Hahaha, yeah. I’m sure it wasn’t easy but you did it, Dad! Father’s crazy about you.”

“Was then, still am now. And you brought this up why, ‘Kura-chan?” Minato gently patted the top of Sakura’s head.

The young girl’s shoulders slumped a little, worry eating at her once again. “Well, you two are both boys.”

Akira and Minato shared another glance, a little puzzled by this statement. It was true, but why was this important to bring up?

“Sakura, is someone bullying you at school?” Akira had to ask, gunmetal gray eyes sharper than normal.

The ravenette started. “What? Oh, no! No, no, no. No. I’m not being bullied at school for having two dads; there’s some assholes here and there, but no that’s not it.” Sakura assured him with a smile. “And even if they tried, I’d know what to do.”

“That’s my girl,” Minato said with glee, dropping a soft kiss to the top of Sakura’s head. “She’s definitely the daughter of two fools.”

“You’re unbelievable,” Akira mumbled.

“So if you’re not being bullied for having two dads, why…?” Minato returned to the topic at hand, blue eyes just as curious as Akira’s.

“...W-would you guys be mad if I didn’t like boys too?” Sakura asked this very, very, very softly, even ducked her head for good measure.

“Sakura,” Akira began, soon drawing his one and only daughter into his arms. “Do you like girls instead of boys?” He made sure to ask as carefully as possible, but didn’t sugarcoat it either. He and Minato shared yet another glance, the blue-haired man gently wiping Sakura’s wet cheeks.

“...”

“Do you, Sakura-chan?” Minato encouraged with a tiny smile, the smile he reserved just for her. Sakura looked up meekly, chest feeling tight.

“I...I don’t like boys like I like girls,” she admitted after a thick pause. “I notice them, and yes I think Teddi is very cute,” the painted hearts on her cheeks seemed to flutter as Sakura mentioned the slender, blue-eyed, blond-haired friend of their mutual friend Narukami Yu. “But, I don’t get around him like I do around Sayuri.”

‘You owe me fifty bucks,’ Akira said to Minato via their weird husband telepathy, the smug smirk evident as the sun is a star.

Minato rolled his eyes, ‘How was I supposed to know our daughter would crush on your artist friend’s kid? I’m not good at art, you don’t know much about art and Sakura prefers poetry.’

‘Still Mina, I win.’

‘Still Aki, we should be paying attention to Sakura and her sexuality crisis. Or lack thereof, because we don’t care who she loves as long as she’s treated well.’

“So you have feelings for Sayuri?” Minato asked, tilting his head to the side. “Well, she is sweet. Sweet with you, usually rather pretentious with others-”

“Father!”

“But sweet with you; Sayuri’s very intelligent as well, and just as talented as her father when it comes to her paintings. She keeps an eye on you, is mostly responsible and always finishes her plate. Always.” Minato added, placing his hand under his chin. “She is older than you, but it’s only by a year and if she really makes you happy then...but she has to come over for dinner and formally ask to date you. She needs our permission.”

“Wow, and I thought I would be the overprotective parent.” Akira gaped, shaking his head. Sakura, on the other hand, was trying to keep from jumping out of her seat.

“You mean it, Father?!”

“Of course, Sayuri has to ask us permission. She wants to date our beautiful, smart, and loving daughter; I need to make sure she knows that if she breaks your heart, I break her dad.” Minato replied, the three now curled up on the couch in a heap. He softened his tone and let out a short laugh, “And did you really think your dad and I would have a problem with you liking girls, Sakura-chan? Love is love, if it wasn’t for me loving your dad we wouldn’t be together right now. Love is love, as long as you’re happy.”

“And whoever you love treats you right,” Akira said, tapping the end of Sakura’s nose. “If those conditions are met, we are happy. Sayuri is a sweet girl, and I’m sure Yusuke approves too.”

“He better, Sakura is the perfect child and Sayuri is lucky.”

“Mina!”

“Just stating the truth.”

“It’s okay for boys to like boys and girls to like girls.” Sakura said, just to clarify. Both Akira and Minato showered their daughter with hugs and kisses, she squealed and pretended to fight them off. “G-guys, hahaha!”

“It’s perfectly okay, baby.”

“We’ll always love you, no matter what. As long as you’re happy.”

“As long as you’re happy.”

* * *

“She’s an angel, Orpheus my love.” Arsene cooed as they watched little Sakura put together a puzzle. A blank puzzle, apart from the single pink flower split into six pieces.

It was a new puzzle, a birthday present from Akihiko.

And the little girl, five years old, was listening to music as she worked on her new puzzle. She swayed from side to side on her knees, smile broadening when she made progress on her journey. Sakura had a pink scrunchie holding her hair in place, yet somehow her inky black fringe escaped to obscure her left eye from view. She was still in her pajamas, meaning Akira and Minato were still asleep. At the moment, Sakura was at the age in which everything had to be pink: pink walls, a round pink carpet at the foot of her bed, pink pajamas and a pink comforter than went well with her pink bed sheets and pillowcases. Her entire room was pink, apart from her school uniform which hung opposite of the mirror in her closet and her favorite pair of headphones which were red.

Thanks to her favorite aunt, which is on the hush-hush, Arisato Minako.

“She’s sweet and pretty much like her namesake,” Orpheus agreed, his harp secured to his back. A few strands of ghostly white hair fell over his glowing eyes as he leaned forward to see if he could locate the next puzzle piece. “Kurusu’s genes are strong indeed.”

“Master only produces children that sway with their looks alone,” The Gentleman in Red purred in delight, folding a hand under his “chin”. “Looks, brains, charm; all come promised by the offspring of two Fools.”

“She does resemble my Master, even if his blood doesn’t course through her veins.”

“How this gift makes me ache for one of my own.”

Orpheus tilted his head slightly in Arsene’s general direction. “Personas are incapable of conjuring offspring, Darling.”

Arsene sighed heavily, “I’m aware,” he replied, crossing his long, thin arms. “Humans can be envied, sometimes. They are capable of so much, and while some squander potential others manage to tap into it. Having their bloodline be carried on by a generation is one of those enviable talents, to have a tiny life see you as a guide and comfort...while I’m far from mortal, this desire makes me feel almost like them.”

Orpheus remained silent as he listened to Arsene, expression unfathomable though due to his machine-like visage. ‘I had no idea my gentle thief could humor such a possibility,’ he mused, and with immense surprise.

Arsene, his lover of nearly two decades up to this point, was flirtatious. He lived in the moment, tempting the line between life and death. He was eager to dive into new adventures, seductive and alluring and...honestly, very explicit. He was so when it came to his battles, to his moments of rest, and especially when engaging with Orpheus. Arsene was passionate; a passionate warrior, a passionate survivor, and a passionate lover.

And now, seeming passionate about wiping a child’s tears? Causing a child’s smile? Witnessing a child’s journey from infant to adult...this was very unexpected, a turn of events so great that the history books would clamber to document such a development.

Orpheus would be lying if he claimed not to be moved by this, if only slightly.

“Forgive me for my petty complaints, my love,” Arsene said, folding his impressive, black wings back as he crossed his legs and leaned back in place as if draped across a chair. “They are that: petty and illogical. Why envy humans over something so trivial?”

“Is it really though…?” Orpheus hazard, facing Arsene fully.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Are you sure the reason you’re feeling this way isn’t natural? While we are not humans, we are the spirits of rebellion of two. When they’re in distress, we feel it. When they’re happy, it’s so great it lifts our spirits even if we can’t pinpoint the source of it in the moment. We are part of them, that could imply we can feel desires they possess. My master desired having a child with yours, and it came to be.”

“Your master, Orpheus. Not you.”

“If I could give you such beauty, I would without a second thought.” Orpheus declared firmly, the sudden shift in his tone causing Arsene to tremble a bit.

“Y...you would?”

“If it made you happy as it seems it would have, yes. Your happiness is very important to me; it’s one of the things I vowed to treasure and protect when I promised my eternal love to you, Arsene. And who’s to say Sakura isn’t that already? She is the fruit of the love between your master and mine’s. She’s perfect as she is, and we can always be there to guard her.” Orpheus took one of Arsene’s hands in his, caressing the other’s “face” with smooth, almost silver hands. “She is ours if you really think about it. A part of me, a part of you. She’s our little Sakura blossom.”

“I did not think of it that way,” Arsene said after a moment of silence, his permanent, Jack-o-Lantern’s grin seeming more lively now. He looked down at the little girl still working on her puzzle, “I believed because she was human that the disconnect would be inevitable. That she would be only my Master’s and my Master’s alone...but I am part of him, as he is part of me. If this child is his then she is mine as well.”

“She is and she’s perfect, my love. She’s yours,” Orpheus embraced the Gentleman in Red to him, Arsene tucking his top hat-less “head” under his lover’s chin. “She’s yours in all the ways that matter.”

“Ours, ours in all the ways that matter.” Arsene corrected, his “lips” pressing to the underside of Orpheus’ chin. “She’s just as much mine as she is yours.”

“Do you guys want some tea? I’m thirsty.” Orpheus and Arsene slowly looked away from each other to...Sakura, staring up at them. Staring up at them with wide, wide gunmetal gray eyes. Or eye, since her emo fringe was obscuring her left one. She was standing proud and tall, hands folded behind her back as she rocked to and fro and on her heels.

“Y...you can see us,” Orpheus stated, shock coloring his tone. How could this be? Sakura hasn’t awakened her Persona yet, if she even possessed one because that was still to be seen. They weren’t in the Metaverse; Akira hasn’t set foot in the other reality since relinquishing his title as Joker.

At the question, because it sounded like that to her, Sakura giggled. “Of course I can, I’ve always seen you two around here! You’re angels aren’t you? You have a harp,” she pointed to Orpheus. “And you have angel wings, really pretty angel wings!” Sakura then pointed at Arsene. “I noticed you guys a few months ago. You talk a lot, but never to me so I thought I’d try. And it works, you two can hear me!”

“Y-yes, yes we can. We can hear you, Sakura!” Arsene was soon on his knees before the little girl, hands folded over his lap. “We had no idea you could hear us, much less see us.”

Sakura raised a thin brow, the gesture very endearing and reminded Orpheus so much of Minato.

“Why wouldn’t I see you guys? Am I not supposed to?”

“Not exactly, but it is indeed a pleasant surprise. Did you get our names by any chance?” When Sakura shook her head, Orpheus let out a short chuckle. “Well, would you like to know them then?”

“Hai, so very much! Please, pretty please?”

“Very well. My name is Orpheus, and this is my darling Arsene Lupin. We’re friends of your parents.”

“Very special friends,” Arsene added, and let out a soft laugh when Sakura took one of his hands in his. She was grinning from ear-to-ear.

“Well, it’s very special to meet you both! I’m Sakura, and my favorite color is pink.”


End file.
